Lloyd’s Register, A.P. Moller – Maersk, the Port of Charleston and the Port of Felixstowe have launched the Pink Corridor project to examine the requirements for a theoretical nuclear-powered containership route between the UK and US.
The project will assess the operational, security and safeguarding requirements associated with potential port access for a conceptual nuclear-powered containership trading between Charleston and Felixstowe.
Key areas of study will include ship security, nuclear safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response, insurance regimes and alignment between maritime and nuclear regulatory requirements.
The work is intended to identify practical requirements and gaps that would need to be addressed before a nuclear-powered maritime corridor could be considered, while informing future regulatory development.
The project also supports work under the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal and the countries’ bilateral commitment to explore civil maritime nuclear applications.
“The Pink Corridor joint development programme is an important step for the application of nuclear technology in merchant shipping,” said Nick Gross, Global Containerships Segment Director, Lloyd’s Register.
“By taking a practical, collaborative approach, the project will examine the security and safeguards that would need to be addressed for safe operations.”
The initiative builds on a 2024 regulatory assessment by Lloyd’s Register and CORE POWER, followed by a joint development project with Maersk examining the safety, operational and regulatory requirements for advanced nuclear power in container shipping.
The findings from the initial phase will be used to determine the scope of a potential second phase, covering further engineering, regulatory, legislative, security and safeguards requirements for nuclear-powered merchant ships.
